DIRT TRACK RACING

The original game, Dirt Track Racing, was a big enough hit to cause Rat Bag games to invest in a second edition. I own both games and the second one is much better, and of course newer, even though it is still old.

Dirt Track Racing can be found online and downloaded as a demo or is some cases as a full game. Be careful of some sites. Not everyone is looking to give you a free game.

You can find the full original game on eBay or Amazon at times. This, to me, is the best way to buy. You get what you want cheaply and delivered virus free.

In Dirt Track Racing 2, you’ll find something like a cross between rally racing and NASCAR dirt track racing. Like in NASCAR races, you’ll race on closed, purpose-built tracks. Here, most of the 14 tracks are oval variants with a few particularly dangerous figure-eight tracks thrown in for good measure. True to the game’s name, you’ll be racing across bumpy dirt surfaces, often wet ones, regularly sliding through the corners like a seasoned rally racer.

As if roaring sideways through turns in an 800-horsepower car weren’t enough, you’ll be doing it on ridiculously small tracks. Many just break the half-mile mark; some are only a measly quarter-mile around. The margin for error is slim at best, and since the game doesn’t have any long straightaways, you’ll be wrangling with your car nonstop. So, while dirt track racing might not be glamorous or prestigious, it can still be a fun challenge.

This game became so popular that it spawned race leagues across the internet. Teams were created, cars were created, new tracks, competitions that were monitored and reported on online, just as though they were real races.

As a result there are literally thousands of cars, tracks and more that you can download to MOD this game. Additionally, Rat Bag includes a folder in this game that includes an editor to unzip the files used in the game. There are track editors that were made by fans, car import tools and much more.

You’ll get to test your skills in quick race and career modes, as well as in online multiplayer mode for up to 10 players. In quick races, you can select any car and track in the game and set the number of competitors and laps, the track wetness, and the AI difficulty. Unfortunately, the cars are all generic, so don’t expect to find any high-profile real-world cars, except by implication. Whatever car you select, you can expect a real challenge. The computer-controlled drivers are no pushovers, especially at the highest difficulty levels. When the race is done, you can watch and save a replay, though the replay suite isn’t particularly powerful.

Damage shows on the car bodies; flames shoot from the exhaust pipes when you let of the gas and more. All things that make you feel a part of the game.

Along with the quick races, you can play through a surprisingly deep career mode similar to the one found in the original Dirt Track Racing. You’ll start with a small amount of cash to purchase your first basic car. As you win races, you’ll accumulate money for repairing damage, purchasing better parts, and buying new cars. As you prove your worth on the track, you’ll even gain sponsorship deals.

A major part of Dirt Track Racing 2’s formula for fun is its tiny tracks coupled with powerful cars and strong AI competitors. Another factor in that formula is its convincing physics modeling, something Ratbag games have always been known for, even though the game’s physics may not reach the level of subtlety and sophistication found in Papyrus’ Grand Prix Legends or NASCAR Racing series. Still, it successfully portrays the power of the cars and the difficulties in keeping them under control as you whip them through turns. You can select the level of handling realism, as well as three levels of damage modeling: none, arcade, and simulation. If you choose simulation modeling, car parts will crumple and bend and have an effect on handling, though the modeling is still too relaxed and often requires you to really slam your car into something to put a serious dent in it.

To help you get the most from the game’s physics, you’ll get a full array of car-tuning options for the wheels, suspension, chassis, and gear ratios. These options are unusually detailed and should keep gearheads happily occupied for a long time. The wheel-tuning options alone let you tweak toe-in, wheel offset, brake strength, tire pressure, tire compound, and tire size individually for each of the wheels, as well as stagger and steering lock.

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